Pet Store AU
by Talesoftwofairies
Summary: Gajeel goes into a pet store and walks out with more than he bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

Gajeel groaned as Juvia came to a stop in front of the pet store.

"Come on, Gajeel! Look, they have puppies!" Juvia squealed and ran inside. Gajeel rolled his eyes at her excitement. He had nothing better to do today so when Juvia asked him to accompany her while she did some errands he agreed.

Gajeel followed her in and headed toward the direction of her squeals. He found her in the adoption center, strangling a puppy to her chest.

"GAJEEL, LOOK HOW CUTE! JUVIA WANTS TO ADOPT THEM ALL!" She cried, squeezing the poor pup.

After she was done smothering the puppies, Juvia grabbed Gajeel's arm and dragged him to cat adoption center.

He stood beside her as she determinedly pet each kitty. He eyed them over, disinterestedly. He stepped away, ready to wander around the shop when something caught his eye a few stalls over. Sulking in the corner of his tiny home was a dark gray kitten with a scar over its eye. Gajeel walked over and squat down. He stuck a finger through the bars and stroked his little head. Immediately, the kitten started to purr.

"Wow, he likes you." a voice said from behind him.

Gajeel half turned to look at the source.

A girl with bright blue hair beamed down at him. Her name tag read Levy. Gajeel noticed that she was quite… short. She wasn't much taller than his kneeled height.

"That's Pantherlilly," she said crouching down next to him. "I'm surprised he's letting you pet him. He's been really antisocial to all the other cats and has been scratching us workers."

She smiled at him and Gajeel's heart definitely did not stutter a bit at it's brightness.

"He seems to likes you, though! He's even purring! That's the first time I've heard him do that" She commented, while watching Pantherlilly rub his face against Gajeel's finger.

"How'd he get that scar?" Gajeel asked.

"He was a stray, brought in by a couple. They said his family was attacked by a wild animal. Pantherlily was the only surviving member."

Gajeel watched as Pantherlilly rubbed his whole body against his cage, his purrs vibrating the bars.

"Can I hold him?" He looked up at the girl.

Levy grinned and grabbed the set of keys that were hooked onto her uniform. She inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. Hesitantly, Levy reached into the cage and lifted Pantherlilly out. He wriggled around in Levy's grip and practically leapt into Gajeel's arms. A smile grew on Gajeel's face as the kitten cuddled into his arm and yawned contently.

Levy cooed at the cute sight.

"I didn't know Pantherlilly could be such a sweetheart! You must be really good with animals." She looked at him. "Have you owned a cat before?"

Gajeel shook his head. "Nah, not really an animal person." But even as he said that his heart filled with warmth for the little fuzzball in his arms.

"You know, this little guy doesn't have a loving home. And he's taking quite a liking to you." She said, rocking on heels.

Gajeel lifted his eyes to hers. The glint in her eyes hinting at him.

"I don't know the first-"

"Gajeel! Juvia lost you but -" Juvia eyes widen at the sight of Gajeel holding the kitten. "GAJEEL THAT IS THE CUTEST KITTEN EVER! Look, he's a tough guy like you! Look at the scar! Juvia sees the resemblance!"

Gajeel watched as Levy's smile wavered.

In a professional voice she said, "Oh, is this your girlfriend?"

"No," Gajeel said quickly. Probably too quickly. "This is Juvia. She's a friend of mine."

Juvia stuck her hand out to Levy, who accepted it and shook. "Nice to meet you! Juvia already has a love, so this one is available!"

Heat rose to Gajeel's face as he glared at Juvia. He saw Levy's smile grow from the corner of his eye. "I wouldn't exactly call stalking a guy around campus 'love'."

Juvia smacked his arm, causing Pantherlilly to shift and hiss at her.

"Heh! I like this one." He grinned and rubbed Panthelilly's head.

"Well!" Juvia huffed. "Juvia can see that's she's not wanted here!"

She stalked off towards the bunny section. Gajeel shrugged and continued to scratch behind Pantherlily's ear. Levy reached out a hand and stroked the kitten's silky fur. Pantherlily didn't protest.

"He needs a loving home…" She looked up, begging Gajeel with her big brown eyes. "He's awful to everyone else. Every time someone tries to pet to him, he hisses at them. No one is going to want an aggressive cat. The hardest part of my job is watching animals waste away in their cages, never getting adopted."

Gajeel's gaze fell back down to the kitten in his arms. _Nobody will want him, huh_? Gajeel was all too familiar with that feeling. After his old man disappeared when he was young, he jumped from family to family until he turned 18 and decided to live on his own. It was a hard life, and it toughened him up considerably. But still, he can't take in a cat. A cat takes time and money, both of which Gajeel didn't have a surplus of. Not to mention that damn cat smell-

At that moment, Pantherlily looked up at him and squeaked out a tiny meow.

_Goddammit._

That was it. All hope was lost. Gajeel looked up at Levy and tried to put on a face of indifference.

"So if I was going to adopt, what would I-"

"Oh its really easy, you just sign a few papers and that's it! You get a loving companion and Pantherlilly gets a home!" Levy said brightly.

Gajeel let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright. I'll take him."

Levy squealed. "I'll get the paperwork! Let's put him back, for now."

Gajeel placed Pantherlily back in his cage and lingered his hand atop of his head in hopes to communicate his promise to return. Levy closed the gate and locked it, smiling brightly.

She hurried down the aisle towards a counter near the entrance of the store. Gajeel followed at a more steady pace, amused at her excitement.

"Do you have any pets?" He asked, as he approached the counter.

"No, my roommate is allergic, but I love animals. I'm studying to become vet!" She answered as she dug through the files behind the desk.

"Guess that means you're really smart. Having to read all those textbooks."

"Well, I like to read so it's not that big of a deal. I spend most of my time at the library, anyways." She waved her hand dismissively.

Levy stood up and placed a piece of paper on the counter. "Here's the first application. The next one is…"

She trailed off as she turned towards the cupboards behind her. She walked over, opened them up and extended her arm for the top shelf, where another stack of papers lay.

Or rather- she tried to. The length of her arm only reached the middle shelf. She tried hopping, but to no use.

Gajeel snickered from the other side of the counter. "Need a hand, shorty?"

Levy turned and glared at him. "No!"

Gajeel snorted as she disappeared under the counter again. She popped back up a second later with a stool.

"We have a stool for the taller shelves." She mumbled as she placed it in front of the cupboards.

"Does anyone else use it?" Gajeel grinned.

Levy answered in a quiet voice, "No…."

Gajeel laughed.

Levy grabbed the paper from the shelf, then hopped off the stool and smacked down the sheet to the counter in front of Gajeel. Her face was pink.

"At least I don't…" Her face scrunched up and she studied Gajeel for something to retort with. Gajeel met her eyes with a smirk.

"At least I don't set off metal detectors every time I exit a store!" She finished, grinning triumphantly.

"That only happened once!"

Levy burst out laughing. "Oh my God! Really? I wasn't being serious!"

"Yeah, s'not my fault malls have sensitive metal detectors." Gajeel tried to act annoyed, but it melted away at Levy's smile. They both grinned at each other before Levy turned away with a blush.

She coughed. "Go ahead and fill out those forms, I'll get Pantherlily ready."

As Levy hurried back to the cat section, Gajeel filled out the paperwork. He could overhear Levy trying to coax out Pantherlily, and then shriek when he hissed at her.

Levy returned with a cat carrier in her arms and carefully placed it on top of the counter. Gajeel looked up at the kitten, who was huddled in the corner of his carrier.

"Hey, buddy." Gajeel said, as he stuck a finger into the bars. Pantherlily hesitantly stepped towards his finger and sniffed it.

He handed the completed forms to Levy, then ltook out his card from his wallet and handed it to Levy, who ran it through the cash register. After she gave it back, Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck and pointedly didn't look at her.. "So I ah, don't know the first thing 'bout raising a cat…. I was wondering if I could call you sometime, for advice?"

Levy turned away and Gajeel's heart sank. _Idiot. _Like some girl would really just-

Levy whipped back around and held out a piece of paper, with a big smile. "There's my cell phone number and the store number. You're also welcome to come in. I'm here Friday through Tuesday."

"Right, thanks." Gajeel said, trying to sound casual. His grin gave it away, however. He took the paper and shoved it in his pocket, then grabbed the handle of the car carrier. He raised his hand in a goodbye gesture.

"Don't forget to tell me how Pantherlily likes his new home!" Levy called while waving.

Gajeel could feel a stupid grin spread on his face and he walked out of the pet store with a kitten in his hands and his pocket heavy with a cute girls number.

"So Gajeel got the kitten huh?." A voice said from besides him. Gajeel looked over.

Juvia appeared by his side, eyes twinkling. "But thats' not all Gajeel got."

Gajeel snorted. "Shut it, Lockser."

"Gajeel must be so happy he went to do errands with Juvia this morning even if he complained before hand." She smiled.

Gajeel rolled his eyes and lifted the carrier to look at Pantherlilly. He was definitely not thinking of all the questions to ask Levy when he called her tomorrow.


	2. Taking a Chance

_Christine's notes: Part 2! Due to all the lovely response we've decided to include a second part! Hope you like it! _

"Oi, Lily." Gajeel grunted, with his face pressed up against the carpet.

Nope. Not under the couch.

Gajeel pushed himself off the floor and stood up. He walked over to the TV and checked behind it.

"Lily?"

Not there, either.

Gajeel picked up one of the many mouse toys scattered on the floor, and shook it, producing a slight tinkling sound

"Lily."

No sign of him anywhere. Gajeel let the toy drop to the ground with a sigh. This damn cat was going to be the death of him.

Since the day Gajeel brought him home three weeks ago, Pantherlily has managed to lose himself in Gajeel's apartment at least once a day. Even though the apartment was fairly small, Gajeel could never figure out where he was hiding when he disappeared like this. The first couple times it happened, it was scary. He thought he lost his cat within the first couple days of adopting him. The relief of finding him was tremendous. The next few times it happened, it was kind of cute, almost like a game of hide and seek. These days, it was just annoying.

Well, he knew the surefire way to coax Lily out of hiding. Gajeel walked over to the kitchen and opened a cupboard. He took out a can of cat food and placed it on the counter. He grabbed the handle and popped it open. Almost immediately he heard a tiny patter of paws. Gajeel looked down and saw a tiny black kitten sitting down at Gajeel's feet, as if he'd been there the entire time.

"Don't act so noble, you brat." Gajeel glared down at him. "You ain't foolin' anybody."

Big black eyes stared up at him, silently. Gajeel rolled his eyes and dumped out the can's portion onto a plate.

"Eat up, you little monster." He said, and plopped the plate down to the floor.

Pantherlily sniffed at the lumpy brown cat mix and then took a tiny bite. Gajeel watched him as he ate. It was annoyingly cute. Annoying, because he couldn't stay mad at him when his stupid little jaw was making such tiny chews.

Gajeel leaned back on the counter behind him with his hands, when he felt something thin and flimsy underneath his fingers. He picked up the object and brought it to his line of sight. It was a tiny slip of paper, with flowery writing printed on it. His eyes automatically read the message, even though he already knew what it said.

_Levy McGarden_

_Cell: ###-#### _

_Work: ###-####_

_For cat advice ;)_

It was the phone number from that cute girl who worked at the pet store. He forgot he left it on the counter. Not to say that he _forgot_ about it. No, he has been hyper aware of its presence since he received it three weeks ago. Its existence has been burned into the back of his mind, haunting him every time his thoughts wandered. Just seeing it made his stomach churn in a familiar way. But it also brought up another dull reminder.

He had yet to call her.

It was strange. He had every intention to call her, as he was walking out of the store. He waited the proper amount of days, so he wouldn't appear desperate, and then…it never happened. It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to see her. Cuz, hell, she was cute, and nice, and seemed to have an interest in him, and those were three things that Gajeel had never seen in the same person. But every time he picked up the slip of paper to make the call, he couldn't do it. A mental force prevented him from dialing. He started avoiding the issue, and made excuses as to why he couldn't call her. He had to take out the trash, or he had to clean the cat litter, or he had to go to work, or he promised Juvia he would hang out with her that day. He could come up with any excuse if he tried hard enough. His excuse now was that it's been too long. She has probably forgotten about him by now.

Gajeel knew that they were all bullshit excuses. He knew the real reason why he wasn't calling her. He didn't like to think about it. But of course, the thought arose every time he attempted to call her, or even entertained the thought of calling her. He couldn't _not _think it either, and that was damned annoying.

He was intimidated. And that was hard to admit. He was intimidated by this short, unthreatening woman. Mostly because she was freaking _smart._ She was studying to be a vet, for crying out loud. He could barely figure out how to potty train a kitten, let alone learn it's biology along with every other animal in the world. What would a girl like her see in a guy like him, who's just floating along aimlessly through college, without any idea of where to go afterwards? Just thinking about this woman opened a train wreck of thoughts that he despised dwelling on.

Yeah, she may have liked his cocky attitude, but what would happen after that lost its novelty? She'd realize it's all a façade and dump him, leaving him with crushed hope and a deflated ego.

Shit, it was like being a kid again. Jumping from family to family, hoping that maybe this one would be different, that maybe he could fit in with this family. He had to harden up his emotions through the years as a necessity, to protect himself. But damn, this girl made him want to relax a bit, and be optimistic. But that was risky.

Gajeel glared at this piece of paper pinched between his fingers. This thing was causing too much distress. He should just throw it away and be done with it. Can't be hurt by something he never did.

At that moment, a black blur flew on the counter and snatched the piece of paper out of his hand. Confusion and panic shot through Gajeel like a bullet. Confusion, because, when the hell did Pantherlily learn to jump that high? And panic, because shit, he's gonna ruin it! He spun around to face the black cat, who sat on the counter behind him, paper in mouth.

"Lily," Gajeel said carefully, hands hesitantly reaching towards the kitten. "Drop it…"

When the cat stood up suddenly, Gajeel lunged, but Pantherlily easily leapt out of his reach and down to the floor, where he sprinted away.

"Lily!" Gajeel roared, scrambling around the corner that the kitten disappeared behind. "That's not a toy!"

The kitten took one look at him and took off. Gajeel chased the black furball across the living room. He was freaking nimble for a kitten. Pantherlily dashed down the hall, and turned into his room.

Shit, if he goes to his hiding spot, that number will be as good as gone.

Gajeel clambered in his doorway, expecting to see an empty room. To his surprise, however, the kitten sat in the middle of the room, with the slip of paper underneath his paw. Gajeel blinked at him, still standing in the doorway. He took a tentative step towards Lily, anticipating him to make a run for it, but the cat sat stationary. He looked at Gajeel as if he had just proven a point.

Gajeel realized that the Lily wasn't going to run off, and let his arms go slack. He gave the cat an exasperated look and trudged towards him. Lily didn't move, just watched Gajeel as he plopped down to the ground and retrieved the paper from underneath his paw. Gajeel scowled down at Pantherlily.

"You tryin' to say something, Lily?"

"…" Lily stared back.

Gajeel tore his gaze away from Pantherlily to inspect the paper for damage. It was completely intact. Somehow, Lily managed not to poke any holes in it with his sharp teeth. Gajeel looked at the cat and back down to the note. What was that whole thing about? What was Lily trying to prove? That he didn't want the note destroyed? But why was that-

Oh right. He was just thinking about throwing this thing away. So why didn't he just let Pantherlily tear it to shreds? Wasn't that his plan anyway? As soon as Lily took that paper out of his hands, Gajeel felt a surge of panic and chased after him. Why was that? It was true, all that stuff about being intimidated and anxious.

Gajeel studied the slip of paper with a frown. Maybe he was overthinking this whole thing.

Yeah, he was intimidated by her intelligence. But why was that, really? Was he being some alpha male who didn't want to date a girl smarter than him? He didn't _think _he was, but could he know for sure? Or was it that he was insecure about his own intelligence? Well. It wasn't like he was an idiot. His head may not be his strongest feature, but he knew how to get around. He_ is _putting himself through college.

This girl also willingly gave him her number, so she must have liked something about him. Or not been revolted by him, at the very least. She saw his piercings, and even made a joke about them, so she didn't care about that, either. And yeah, he was anxious about being rejected, but wasn't it normal to be nervous about asking someone out? Wasn't that part of the whole dating process?

After all, he had taken bigger chances before. Deciding to live on his own, going to college, opening up to Juvia, adopting a cat. So far, they've all seemed like good choices. Juvia could still be a little weird sometimes, but overall she was fine.

Gajeel looked at his kitten. "I'm being a pansy, aren't I, Lily?"

Pantherlily looked at him with the most knowledgeable look a kitten could have.

So what if she seemed out of his league? There's no harm in trying. If it didn't work out, whatever. It didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Gajeel figured that he would probably regret not trying it more than trying it and failing.

"Thanks, Lily." Gajeel said, reaching over to the cat and scratching the top of his head. Gajeel was starting to think this kitten was wiser than he was. Almost like an old man stuck in a cat's body.

He fished out his phone from his pocket and opened the dial screen. He stared at it, ready to dial the number, until he came to a halting realization.

He had no idea what to say. He's never formally asked out anyone before. Does he ask her out to a movie? Or is that too much?

He looked to his all-knowing cat. "What do I do, Lily?"

Lily licked his paw and rubbed his head, unhelpfully. Guess his wisdom ran out for today.

Well… if he doesn't do it now, he might lose the nerve later. Gajeel contemplated for a bit longer, before punching in the number and bringing it up to his ear, waiting for the ring.

He listened to the ringing, nerves growing with every second. His eyes trailed around the room as he fought the urge to get up and pace.

A few rings passed. Gajeel fiddled with his belt loops, anxiously. Maybe she's busy. He might just have to leave a message on her voicemail. Honestly, that would be preferable at this point.

The ringing cut off abruptly. "Hello?"

Ah _shit_.

Gajeel inwardly took a breath. "Hey, is this Levy?"

"Yes it is, who's this?"

"It's Gajeel from uh…"

His voice trailed off. Did he even introduce himself at the pet store?

But Levy's voice spoke up from the phone. "Oh, Gajeel! The one who adopted Pantherlily!"

Gajeel felt a tiny flash of relief.

"Yeah, that's right."

"Hi! How've you been?"

"Good, just busy with furball here."

The voice giggled."How is Pantherlily? Is he adjusting well?"

"He's fine," Gajeel said, feeling his shoulders relax. "He's been climbing up all the furniture and going crazy at night."

A bell of laughter rang from the other line. Gajeel found himself grinning at its infectious tone.

"Has he been any nicer?"

"Ehh, yeah. He's stopped hissing at Juvia every time she comes near him. He 'll even play with her, sometimes."

"That's great!" She said excitedly. "He's being socialized!"

"Yeah, guess so," Gajeel conceded. "How've you been?"

"I've been good, just working. It's been kind of slow here lately, I was hoping ti get some visitors…" Her voice had a slight hint to it.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I've, uh, been busy with this work and Lily." He scratched at his nose, looking down at the said kitten. He was currently pawing at his shoelaces.

Levy chuckled. "Nah, that's okay. I understand."

"Right, so," Gajeel rubbed Pantherlily's head distractedly. Here it goes. "I was gonna ask you if you wanted to…"

Levy was silent on the other line, no doubt waiting for him to finish. Gajeel sucked in air.

"Get some coffee this week?"

"Sure. When are you free?"

The speed and ease of the affirmation left Gajeel momentarily disoriented."Ah, uh, Thursday and Friday."

"Thursday works for me!" Her voice answered brightly. "Where do you want to go?"

Gajeel scrambled for his knowledge of coffee places. It wasn't very vast. "How's Café Bella?"

"Okay! Is two o'clock good for you?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Alright. I'll meet you there, Thursday at two?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Gajeel's mouth felt dry.

"Great! I'll see you then."

"See you then."

Levy giggled. "Bye!"

"Bye."

Gajeel's phone went back to the home screen. He stared at it, still processing everything that just happened. That was…easy? He let himself fall backwards to the floor. He did it. He actually _did _it. And he didn't get rejected.

His eye caught some movement. He looked over. Lily was peering at him, curiously.

Gajeel held up his fist to the kitten. "Pound it, Lily."

Lily tilted his head at the hand, and then bopped it with his paw, claws jabbing Gajeel's skin. Gajeel opened his hand and gently grabbed the kitten's head and wobbled it slightly. Lily's paws immediately latched on to his fist as he freed his head and bit Gajeel's hand.

Gajeel chuckled as he played with his kitten some more, feeling as lighthearted as he did the day he brought him home.


	3. Conversation over Coffee

_Christine's note: A/N: This one ended up being almost twice the size of the last two chapters combined, aaack. I just couldn't stop adding more stuff! Please enjoy some more fluff (and Juvia)!_

_Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and it's characters belong to Hiro Mashima!_

* * *

><p>Gajeel observed himself in the bathroom mirror, fidgeting with his shirt cuffs. Jeans, a casual button down shirt, and converse. That was fine, right?<p>

"How's this, Lily?" He grunted at the kitten, looking at him from the reflection of the mirror.

Lily stared at him from his position on Gajeel's bed. He squeaked out a meow.

Gajeel focused back on his reflection, and adjusted his sleeve a bit. It was Thursday, the day he was supposed to meet Levy at the café. He was feeling admittedly less anxious about the whole ordeal than he was a week ago. He didn't even feel worried.

He pulled out his phone to check the time. 1:37. He would have to leave soon.

A knock on his front door brought Gajeel's attention back to the present. He walked out of his room to the hall where the front door was and opened it.

"Juvia is here!" The blue haired stood in the outdoor entry of his apartment, carrying an armful of books.

"Hey." Gajeel greeted, turning around and heading towards the kitchen.

Juvia closed the door behind her, and set her books down on the kitchen counter. "It's Gajeel's big date! Is Gajeel nervous?"

"'s not a date," Gajeel answered, grabbing his keys off the rack. "And it's not a big deal. It's just to see if there's anything there.

"Of course there is!" Juvia declared. "Gajeel and Levy are going to have a great time, fall in love, get married, and then Juvia will be Gajeel's maid of honor!"

"Pretty sure the groom doesn't have a maid of honor," Gajeel deadpanned. "And stop exaggerating. We're just getting coffee."

"Gajeel has no faaaaith~" Juvia drawled. "Hi, Pantherlily!"

Gajeel looked over to see Juvia crouched down to the tile, holding a hand out to the kitten, who had emerged from his room. Pantherlily approached the young woman, looking as if he was going to greet her, and then promptly walked past her and sat down, facing away from her.

Juvia pouted. "Still cold to Juvia, huh?"

"Here." Gajeel grabbed a nearby toy mouse and tossed it over to her.

Juvia caught the toy and dangled the tail over the kitten. Pantherlily tried to ignore it, until the tail made a sharp jerk. Then the cat whacked at the stuffed toy while not looking at it, as if he was trying to appear impartial. Juvia giggled.

"Don't let him scratch up the couch." Gajeel told her, as he tugged on his jacket.

"Juvia did not hear Gajeel thanking her for watching his kitten!"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Juvia."

"You're welcome!" Juvia said, brightly.

He walked up to the Pantherlily and crouched down. "Don't be a brat, alright?"

Pantherlily watched him with his big brown eyes, his scar outlining the outer corner of his left one. Gajeel ruffled his ears and stood up.

"I'll be back later, a few hours at most." He told Juvia, opening the door.

"Remember to be polite, and to not mention any exes!"

"_Goodbye, Juvia._"

"And have fun!" He heard Juvia call out, before he shut the door.

Gajeel snorted, as he locked his door from the outside. Juvia could be so dramatic. That obsession of hers was causing all kinds of cheesy fantasies in her head. He trudged down the apartment stairs.

Gajeel's home was on the second floor of a crummy apartment complex. He chose to live here because it was cheap, and frankly, he got exactly what he paid for. The water heater sucked, the faucets were leaky, there were stains all over the carpet and walls, and the room had an overall stench that he couldn't get rid of. But without a roommate, his only option was to pick a shitty apartment that wouldn't charge much. Besides, it suited his needs well enough for now. Gajeel reached the bottom step and observed the small pile of rat droppings underneath it.

Maybe Juvia would be willing to let him move into her place after his lease was up.

In moments Gajeel was in his car, driving to the café. He kept the radio on loud, to distract himself. If he let himself think on this too much, he would undoubtedly put himself in a rut again. He told himself that he was just testing out the waters. Figuring out if he was actually interested in this girl or not. If there was no connection, then no harm done.

He pulled into the café and parked his car. He got out and locked it manually, and then walked over the curve and to the shop. He pushed through the door and scanned the room for a familiar face. There was about four or five people already seated inside, enjoying drinks. Didn't look like she was here yet. He took a seat at a nearby table and looked around.

Gajeel had never actually been inside before, only seen it in passing. The walls were a green-moss color and the floor was some sort of shiny tan cement. The decorations looked to be made by local artists. The tables were simple and square, spaced between metal chairs. This was a weird-ass place.

Gajeel fished out his phone to check the time. 2:05. He pushed the phone back in his pocket with a grumble. He didn't even like coffee. Why was coffee the idea of a casual outing? Why couldn't it be a bar?

The tinkling of the door opening made Gajeel glance up. He immediately recognized the bright blue hair. There she was. Levy McGarden, the cute pet store employee that had been plaguing his thoughts for the past month. Gone was her uniform; she was wearing a bright orange dress. It looked pretty good on her.

She glanced around, and lit up when she saw him. She made her way over. "Hi! Sorry I'm late!"

He felt the familiar heart stutter when he saw her smile.

"'s alright." Gajeel said, getting up. He was about to ask her if she wanted to order a drink, but then he noticed how far down he had to look to meet her eyes. He chuckled. "I forgot how short you were."

Levy blanched. "That's how you wanna greet me?"

"Sorry, you're right," Gajeel amended. "Nice to see you, shrimp."

Levy's eyebrow twitched, and then she sighed. "I guess that's the best it's going to get."

Gajeel smirked, and then looked toward the counter. "Wanna order something?"

"Sure." She answered, with a sheepish smile.

They walked in between the tables and chairs towards the cash register. Gajeel kept glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She really did look good. It was distracting.

They stopped in front of the counter, and directed their gaze to the board of drinks mounted on the wall. Gajeel furrowed his brow as he studied the menu.

"What the hell's the difference between an espresso, a mocha and a cappuccino?" Gajeel asked out loud, annoyed.

The guy behind the counter flinched as if the question was directed at him. He started quivering. "U-um... it's, uh…"

"Get a mocha," Levy interrupted from next to Gajeel. She grinned up at him. "It has more flavor."

"Alright…" Gajeel said, squinting at the mocha section. He then stared at the lanky young man. "Give me a small Chocolate Peanut butter Mocha."

"Y-yes," He trembled. He punched in the buttons on his screen, and then looked at him hesitantly. "Will that be all, s-sir?"

Gajeel was about to say yes, but then he paused. He threw a thumb back towards Levy. "And whatever she orders."

"What!?" Levy yelped. "No! I'm buying my own drink!"

"Call it reimbursement for Pantherlily." He grunted, stepping back to allow her to order.

"You _paid_ to adopt Pantherlily," Levy countered. "You don't owe me anything."

"Just order a drink already." Gajeel rolled his eyes.

Levy was about to argue, until she caught site of the shaking man in front of the register. Then, perhaps out of sympathy for him, she conceded, "Fine. But I'm paying for you, next time."

Gajeel's brows shot up and for a moment he was very still, before he was able to put on a mask of indifference. With a self-satisfying smile he said, "Wow. Already confident there's gonna be a next time. Sheesh."

Levy's face turned bright red. "No! I didn't mean it like that! I was just – I was – "

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by Gajeel's laughter. Levy puffed out her cheeks and turned to the cashier to mumble out her order. Gajeel handed over some bills and took the change. After their drinks came out they sat down at a table.

"How is it?" Levy asked, as Gajeel tried a sip.

"…definitely chocolate and peanut butter," He surmised, grimacing a little. "It's sweet."

"Well. They didn't lie, at least." Levy said, shrugging.

Gajeel noticed her taking a sip from her own drink and then grinned. "I don't believe I heard a 'thank you' for buying your drink."

Levy gave him an exasperated look. "_Thank you_. But the only reason I let you buy it was to spare that poor guy. He was terrified."

Gajeel snickered. "Yeah he was, wasn't he?" Then he shrugged. "I have that effect on people."

"I knew better when I saw you making goo-goo eyes at Pantherlily." Levy grinned.

Gajeel pulled back in surprise. "I was not!"

"You so were!" Levy insisted. "I could see you melting at the sight of him!"

Gajeel scoffed and folded his arms. "It's cuz he was the toughest looking one there."

Levy laughed, and Gajeel was reminded of how nice it sounded.

"It was the scar, right?" She asked.

"It makes him look like a badass," Gajeel nodded, pride seeping into his voice. "You should see how he hunts down flies."

Levy leaned back with a content sigh. "I knew he had the potential to be great."

Gajeel couldn't help but agree. Pantherlily was pretty great.

"So," Levy looked to him, smiling. "What all have you been up to lately?"

"Not much," Gajeel slung an arm over his chair. "Just working and taking care of Pantherlily."

"Where do you work?" She asked, interested.

"I work with a moving company," He answered. "I help move customer's furniture and boxes to their moving truck and then back into their new place."

"Oh cool! Do you see a lot of nice houses?"

"Pfft." Gajeel snorted. "All the time. A lot of rich people hire us. They have their fancy cabinets and expensive TV's that weigh a ton and have to be carried up their winding driveways because they can't fit a moving truck. It can be a pain in the ass." It may have also contributed to his distaste of big houses and the upper-class in general.

Levy's face contorted. "That's sounds terrible."

He shrugged. "It's not bad. The hours can get long, but it's not that hard. Mos' the time."

Levy nodded. Then she leaned forward on folded arms. "What do like to do when you're not working?"

Gajeel paused to think about that. "I go the gym, play video games…Lately it's been watching Lily…" Geez, what else did he do? He had a boring-ass life. "Oh. I tinker."

"Tinker?" Levy inclined her head. "What's that?"

"I take things apart and put them back together," Gajeel said, taking off the lid of his drink and taking another sip. "Like a toaster, or somethin'."

"Really?" Levy asked, fascinated. "Why do you like to do that?"

"I dunno," Gajeel shrugged. "I like to see if I can do it."

"Can you, usually?"

"…Eh." He's had to buy more toasters than he'd care to admit.

Levy giggled. He was really starting to like her laugh. He wanted to hear more of it.

"What 'bout you?" Gajeel asked. "What do you like to do?"

Levy pursed her lips. "I read a lot. Like, a lot. I like hang out with my friends. Oh, I like to knit, too!"

Gajeel snorted. "Hipster."

Levy's mouth hung open and she glowered at him. Gajeel snickered at her expression.

"I believe _you_ were the one to invite me to this hipster coffee place!" She accused him.

"Hey, I didn't know. I've never been in here," Gajeel scratched at his chin, observing their surroundings. "It was the first coffee place to come to mind."

"It was your inner hipster leading you to this place, obviously." She stuck her tongue out at him.

Gajeel grinned. She was pretty fun to talk to. And to make fun of.

"So, are you going to school, mister hipster?" Levy asked, cheekily.

"Yeah, I'm going to Magnolia State."

"What's your major?"

"Criminology."

"Oh! So you're studying to become a police officer?"

Gajeel nodded. "Mmm."

"What made you to want to be that?"

Well, there _was_ a reason. A certain incident that inspired him. But it wasn't something Gajeel liked to talk about. He didn't share it very often. Not even Juvia knew about it.

"Just figured it would be a steady job. And something I could do."

"I see." Levy nodded, taking another sip.

"What made you want to be a vet?" Gajeel returned the question.

"My family dog." Levy smiled softly.

"Your dog?" Gajeel repeated. "How'd your dog inspire you?"

"He saved my life."

Gajeel was surprised at that. "What happened?"

Levy's smile faded a bit and she looked down at the drink in between her hands.

"Uh," Gajeel backtracked. "You don't have to tell me."

Damn, he should know more than anyone about keeping a private life. But a part of him couldn't help but want to know more about her.

"No, it's okay," Levy shook her head. "I don't mind sharing. I like the story."

Gajeel waited her as she shifted around in her seat for a comfortable position.

"When I was younger," She began, staring into the empty space next to Gajeel's chair. "A gas leakage started a fire in my home in the middle of the night. I didn't wake up until it had already consumed the house. Flames were everywhere, and it was so hot. I hid in my closet and cried because I was so scared. It was getting hard to breathe, and I think I was about to pass out…"

Levy looked up at Gajeel and smiled fondly. "But then Farley came. He nudged open the door and found me. He tugged me by my sleeve through the smoke and fire until we were outside to safety. I remember my mom crying, having to wear a breathing mask, all the firemen hosing down the house… And through it all, Farley never left my side."

Gajeel watched the way Levy spoke, unable to look away. Her facial expressions and tone inflection…it was hypnotizing.

She focused on Gajeel again. "I suppose there was a chance I would have survived even without Farley, but I'll never forget how he risked his life to come back for me. Ever since then, I've wanted to give back to animals. And that's when I chose to become a vet."

Gajeel felt momentarily at a loss of words. This girl was definitely more than he expected.

"Damn," Gajeel said finally, letting out a puff of air. "That dog's a hero."

"He was," Levy smiled sadly. "He passed a few days after the incident."

"Oh," Gajeel said. "I'm… sorry."

"It's fine," Levy waved her hand. "He was pretty old anyways. He lived a good life."

Gajeel adjusted the cup in his hand, unsure what to say. He wasn't good at this social thing. There was a reason why he only had one friend.

"I'm sorry!" Levy said suddenly. "I just brought the mood down. Let's talk about something happier. What videogames do you play?"

Gajeel looked up, thankful for the change of subject.

"Well, I play…"

From there, the conversation flowed from games, to movies, to TV shows, to music and so on. Gajeel found himself enjoying talking to Levy. He wasn't normally the type to chat much, but it came naturally with her. A couple of hours had passed easily. He didn't tune out once while she was talking, which he was apparently prone to doing, as Juvia so often pointed out to him. During the conversation, Gajeel was throwing out insults left and right, and Levy was returning them with equal force. It was pretty fun. This was nice. Really nice.

Gajeel learned that she graduated with a degree in animal science last May, and was currently waiting for graduate school responses. He also found out that she was an only child, raised by a single parent who lived close by. Gajeel carefully side stepped any questions about his own family or past. That would have to be conversation for another time.

"So what do you think Pantherlily is doing right now?" Levy grinned, propping her chin up with her hands.

"Probably climbing up the walls and driving Juvia crazy."

Levy laughed. "Is Juvia watching him?"

"Yeah, she watches him for me when I'm at work or something."

"Can we go see him?"

Gajeel took a minute to process that question, poker faced. Go…see Lily? As in, go to his apartment, and see Lily?

"Damn, already asking to come over?" Gajeel scoffed. "You don't mess around, do ya?"

Levy's face flushed. "Oh, shut up. I just want to see how Pantherlily's adjusting."

"Sure, you can go with that story. I'll play along." Gajeel shrugged, standing up.

"You're impossible, you know that?" Levy glared, also getting up.

"Impossibly irresistible?" Gajeel asked, wiggling a brow while walking towards the exit.

Levy snorted. "You wish."

Gajeel held the door open – something Juvia had drilled into him – and watched her walk out. He did not mind the view. Not one bit.

"You can follow me over." He told her, walking up to his car.

"Okay!" She agreed, walking across the lot to her car.

"Just don't drive like a grandma." He called out to her as he opened his door and climbed in.

She retorted something that he couldn't hear from the inside of his car.

Gajeel snickered and shifted his gear. He reversed out his spot and dove out of the plaza and down the road, with Levy following behind him. After a series of turns and lights, Gajeel arrived at his apartment complex. He parked in his usual spot and waited for Levy to pull up next to him. Her car zoomed up and slowed down into the slot next to his. He noticed that she was glaring at him as she turned off her engine.

She opened her car door. "You ran that red light!" She yelled at him, climbing out of her car.

"Oh yeah. My bad." He shrugged, heading towards the apartment staircase.

"Your bad!?" She repeated incredulously, following him up the stairs. "You practically ditched me!"

"I slowed down so you could catch up!" He objected. But he was grinning.

"That was the only time you slowed down," She grumbled. "You don't speed when caravanning."

"I warned you about driving like a grandma." He peeked over at her, amused by her pouting face.

"You were driving like a…" She fumbled for the right words, as they reached at his floor and walked down the outside hall to his door. "Lunatic! How many speeding tickets have you gotten!?"

"Uhh…" Gajeel dug out his keys and stuck it in the door lock. "Four or five?"

Levy snorted, as Gajeel swung the door open. He was about to call out to Juvia to tell her that he was home when –

"GAJEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL! YOU NEED TO LEARN TO PUT THE TOILET SEAT DOWN! JUVIA FELL IN AND GOT HER BUTT WET!"

Gajeel and Levy froze. They met eyes.

"Uh," Gajeel coughed. "I brought company, Juvia."

After a quick patter of feet, Juvia's head poked out from the kitchen. Her expression turned horrified when she saw Levy and her face colored.

"Oh – Juvia didn't – uh," She stammered. Then she sighed, stepping out fully, and rubbed her arm, looking away. "Hello, Levy…" She finished lamely.

Gajeel snickered. Levy smiled kindly. "Hi Juvia. How are you doing?"

"Juvia is good, thank you." She answered weakly.

"She came to see Pantherlily," Gajeel smirked, walking past her to the main room. "Where is he?"

"He was sleeping on the floor next to the couch," Juvia answered from behind him. "He's gone now…"

"Where'd you go off to now, ya little flea bag…" He checked behind the couch.

"Oh!" Levy gasped. "There he is!" Gajeel looked up, and saw the kitten emerge from behind the TV. "Pantherlily! You've gotten so big!

"Hi kitty," Levy greeted, crouching on the floor and holding out her hand. "Do you recognize me?"

Pantherlily stared at the young woman, before silently walking closer. He sniffed at the extended finger. Gajeel watched, silently begging Lily to _not mess this up_. Pantherlily took another step forward and pushed his head into Levy's hand. Levy "aww-ed" and started to rub his head.

And then Pantherlily bit her.

"_Lily_!" Gajeel said in surprise, and horror.

"No, no, it's okay!" Levy reassured, shaking off her hand. Lily was licking his paws, indifferently. "I think that was just his way of saying he remembers me."

"Juvia thinks Gajeel and Pantherlily have more in common than she thought." Juvia commented drily.

Gajeel squat down and picked up Levy's hand. He rotated it, inspecting the bitten finger. "You're not bleeding." He looked up at her. "Does it hurt?"

Levy blinked at him, owlishly. "Uh," She colored a bit. "No – It, um, not at all." She gave a shaky laugh.

He let go of her hand, and stood up, giving Lily an annoyed look. He walked over to the kitchen and picked up the mouse toy that he threw to Juvia earlier and walked it back to Levy. "Try this. It's his favorite."

Levy took the toy and wiggled it on the ground. Pantherlily immediately came to attention and started to bop at it with his paw.

"Wow!" Levy gasped. "He's actually playing!" She looked to Gajeel. "You must be having a great influence on him!"

"Maybe." Gajeel shrugged.

He looked on as Levy giggled while playing with his cat and found himself smiling fondly. He couldn't decide who was more amusing to watch.

A jab to his side brought his attention to Juvia, who was by his side, looking at him sharply.

"Gajeel!" She whispered. "Offer your guest something to drink!"

"D'ya want something to drink, shorty?" Gajeel asked Levy, giving Juvia an 'are you happy now' look.

Juvia's mouth dropped at his use of the nickname.

"I'll take some water, thanks!" Levy replied, still playing with Lily.

Gajeel grinned at Juvia, who looked between the two of them, still slacked jaw.

Gajeel walked behind the counter to get a glass from the cupboard. Juvia settled back onto the couch and picked up her textbook.

"Are you taking summer classes, Juvia?" Levy asked her, noticing the pile of books next to Juvia.

"Yes, Juvia is taking four classes!"

"Four!?" Levy sounded shocked. "That many!?"

"Juvia is a bit behind in her major," She explained, sheepishly. "So she has to take extra classes."

"You wouldn't have to take extra classes if ya didn't change your major for your boy toy." Gajeel joined Levy on the ground, handing her a glass of water.

"Juvia didn't change her major for Gray!" She exclaimed, insulted. "Juvia was just _inspired _by him –"

Gajeel lulled his head back and zoned out as Juvia listed the many, many reasons why this man was so inspirational. It was a list he had heard many times before; to the point where Gajeel was afraid he may have accidentally memorized it. He watched Levy play with Pantherlily some more, watching her face go through cycles of excitement. He tuned back into Juvia when she reached the end of her spiel.

"–realized that she was unhappy in criminology! Juvia is much happier environmental biology with Gray." Juvia finished.

Well, that much was true. Juvia was quite the gloomy one when Gajeel met her freshman year. She used to talk in such a depressing tone and never changed her stoic expression. After Juvia changed majors last year, her mood changed drastically. Suddenly, she was smiling and giggling all the time, and would act downright goofy. It was a bit of a strange transition for Gajeel to get used to. For a while, he was convinced that she was going to find new friends and stop talking to him. But Juvia remained a close friend, despite them now being in different majors. It was something Gajeel was grateful for. Even if Juvia could be weird.

"Wait," Levy said from next to Gajeel, pausing in her play with Pantherlily. Gajeel and Juvia looked at her curiously. Levy blinked at Juvia. "Gray? As in, Gray Fullbuster?"

There was a beat of silence

"Y…You know Gray!?" Juvia asked, eyes widening to the brim.

"Yeah!" Levy exclaimed. "He's a friend of mine!"

Juvia was very still. Then in a flash, Juvia was kneeling in front of Levy, with Levy's hands clasped in between hers. Her face was very serious. "Will Levy introduce Juvia?"

Gajeel grimaced from the other side of Levy. Juvia was acting weird again. She was gonna creep Levy out.

"Um…" Levy sounded hesitant. "Sure?"

Juvia squealed and pulled Levy into a tight hug, chanting, "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Gajeel rubbed the bridge between his eyes. This would definitely be the first and last time Levy would ever come over.

"Juvia, stop," He said. "You're scaring her."

"No, it's okay," Levy laughed uneasily, as Juvia quickly released her. "It's just…" Levy tilted her head at Juvia. "You haven't met him yet?"

Juvia's hands fell to the ground, and she stared into the carpet gloomily. "No…Juvia wants to, but she does not have the courage…"

"Juvia's been stalking him," Gajeel told Levy. "She's obsessed."

"Juvia doesn't stalk!" She whipped her head up to glare at Gajeel angrily. "Juvia admires from a _distance_!"

Gajeel deadpanned to Levy and repeated, "Stalking."

"Well," Levy started, shifting from her kneeling position to a cross-leg position. "I'm meeting up with him and some other friends Tuesday night at The Shack Bar." She looked over to Gajeel and grinned. "You guys could come and I can introduce you all!"

Gajeel felt an instant feeling of disinclination. The idea of meeting a group of new people and interacting with them politely, while trying to keep up a good impression for Levy seemed like a lot of effort. Gajeel wasn't an outgoing guy by any means. He kept to himself, whenever possible. The only reason he and Juvia were friends was because she was the one to approach him. Hell, it was a miracle he even met Levy. There had to be some excuse he could use…

"We'll be there!" Juvia announced. Gajeel immediately gave Juvia a pained look. "Gajeel won't be working that day!" She added, looking at Gajeel slyly.

Levy turned to Juvia while Gajeel smacked his forehead. Damn that woman. What was she thinking!?

"Great!" Levy said excitedly, clasping her hands and looking between the two of them. "This'll be fun! I think you guys will like them!"

"Juvia is certain she will like Gray! Er –Levy's friends." She clapped. Gajeel groaned inwardly.

Levy grinned at Juvia before leaning on one leg to pull her phone out of her pocket. She checked the time.

"Ah. I should probably get going." She admitted. She looked to Pantherlily, who was lying on the ground in front of her, the mouse toy in between his paws. "But before I do…" Levy twisted her legs behind her and propped herself on her hands and knees. She hesitantly stretched her hand towards the kitten. When Pantherlily didn't budge, Levy took his lack of a response as permission, and gently placed her hand on his head. Pantherlily didn't react. Levy slowly moved her hand along his fur. Pantherlily purred.

Levy gasped and turned to look at Gajeel with an overjoyed face. "Oh-my-gosh-did-you-hear-that-he-just-purred!" Gajeel gave her an amused look. Levy softy stroked the kitten between as he was vibrating in purrs. Gajeel sighed in relief.

After another minute of petting and cooing, the three of them stood up together. Levy was beaming at Gajeel. "I'm so happy Pantherlily was able to find such a good home. You really are having a good impact on him!"

Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really not doing anything special."

"It's because Gajeel and Pantherlily are kindred spirits!" Juvia proclaimed. "They are having a positive effect on each other."

"Oh! That makes sense!" Levy agreed, looking at Juvia. "That gotta be it!"

Gajeel shook his head. "You're both insane."

"Juvia bets that Gajeel purrs when you pet him too!" Juvia said with twinkling eyes. Levy laughed.

"Pet me and you're dead."

Juvia and Levy shared a look and giggled.

Levy made her way over to the kitchen and retrieved her bag from the counter. "It was really nice to see you guys again. You should really visit me at the pet store! It gets boring."

"Okay! Juvia loves looking at the animals, we'll definitely come back!"

Levy grinned at Juvia. "Good!" Levy turned to Gajeel and looked at him, not saying anything. Gajeel quirked a brow. Did she want something?

"Wha –"

"Oh! Juvia almost forgot about her homework due tomorrow!" Juvia said suddenly, walking back to the couch. When she got behind Levy's line of sight, she quickly gestured at Gajeel and then towards the door, with a meaningful look. Gajeel blinked. Escort her to the door? "Juvia will see you Tuesday, Levy!"

"Yeah, see you Tuesday!" Levy waved.

"Oh, uh, I'll show you to the door." Gajeel said, motioning Levy to follow her.

"Bye Lily!" Levy said from over her shoulder, as she followed Gajeel.

Gajeel walked her down the tiny hall to the front door. Which was quite literally, a three second journey. Gajeel stopped at the door and turned towards her. Levy was smiling up at him.

"Thanks for inviting me today; I had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, I did too." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. He had a lot of fun, actually. More than he thought he would. It was a bummer it had to end already. Especially since the next time they would meet would be with a bunch of strangers.

Levy looked at him knowingly. "You don't really want to go on Tuesday, do you?"

Gajeel scrunched up his face and looked to the side.

Levy laughed at his expression. "It's alright. I can tell Juvia it got canceled, if you'd like."

"No," Gajeel grumbled. "Juvia's been really wanting to meet this guy. It'll crush her if she doesn't. I'll be fine."

Levy looked surprised, and then her facet melted into a soft smile. "You two are really close, huh?"

Gajeel shrugged and said nothing.

Levy laughed. "Well, I'll try to make it as painless as possible," She promised. "And I'll buy you that drink I owe you!"

Gajeel snorted. "A drink for me is a keg."

Levy's eye lit up. "I think you'll really like my friends, then."

Gajeel shook his head. "Whatever you say, shorty."

He opened the door for her and Levy stepped out. "I'll text you more details about it later." She grinned at him over her shoulder as she trotted down the stairs. "I'll see you then!"

"See ya, shrimp." Gajeel said, closing the door after she disappeared from view.

He lingered his hand on the doorknob, wondering what he agreed to on Tuesday. Or rather, what he was forced to agree to. He turned around and entered the main room again. Juvia was standing in the middle of the carpet, smiling brightly at him.

Gajeel crinkled his brows at her. "What?"

"Juvia likes Levy!" She announced. "She is very kind. Gajeel would do good to not hurt her."

Gajeel just grunted in response, making his way to sit on the couch.

"Sooooo what did Gajeel think of his coffee date?"

"S'fine. She's cool, I guess."

"Oh, don't act indifferent, Gajeel! Juvia can tell Gajeel had a lot of fun."

"Then why'd you ask?" Gajeel responded, wryly.

Juvia plopped down next to Gajeel on the couch. "Juvia is excited to meet all of her friends on Tuesday!"

"Why the hell'd you agree to that, anyways?"

"Why not?" Juvia tilted her head.

"I don't care about meeting friends." Gajeel mumbled childishly, sinking into the cushions.

"Gajeel!" Juvia admonished. "You have to meet Levy's friends! If Gajeel doesn't get along with them, then it won't work with Levy."

"Ugh." Gajeel groaned. "This is a lot of work."

"If Levy is worth the effort, than Gajeel will do it." Juvia said simply, grabbing her textbook and cracking it open.

At that moment, Pantherlily hopped up onto the couch and crawled into Gajeel's lap. Gajeel rubbed his head absent mindedly as he considered Juvia's words. A small smile crept on his face.

Yeah, Levy was definitely worth the effort.


End file.
